Why are pitcher plants important?

[meadowview]

Hi Folks:

We just had a reporter out the other day from the Fredericksburg newspaper covering the story about our efforts to preserve the northern most pitcher plant bog in Virginia near Meadowview. A question he asked, which I hear frequently, is "Why are pitcher plants important?" To all of us the answer is obvious since we are entranced by their beauty, want to grow them, and protect them in the wild for future generations. However, this is really not a good answer to the question (other than the plants have clear value aesthetically and have commercial value in horticulture).

Personally, I don't think this is a fair question and that an organism shouldn't have to justify its existence. However, (wo)man is the measure of all things and society in general is asking this question.

We've wrested with this question and have come up with a few answers. Here's our starter answers. Now let's hear from you!

Why are Sarracenia pitcher plants important?

1. They are beautiful
2. They bring limiting nutrients into their environment from carnivory
3. They are valuable commercial plants.
4. They are early bloomers and nourish the first pollinators in bogs
5. In many cases, they are a state listed rare, threatened, or endangered species
6. The pitchers are part of 0 order stream systems where water first emerges from the ground. Protection of this habitat, of which pitchers are a part, maintains high water quality.
7. The prime directive. We shouldn't lose our biota.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Phil Sheridan
Director
Meadowview Biological
Research Station

[Alexis]

I don't think anything is more important than anything else. It wouldn't affect me in any way if pandas, lions and dolphins became extinct tomorrow. And each individual panda or pitcher plant doesn't know about extinction - it's just happy existing as it is as an individual.

It's just morally right to prevent anything from going extinct if we can, if it's our fault. From a selfish point of view, who knows what could happen in the future if one species is removed from a habitat?

[meadowview]

Hi Alexis:

Your comments are kind of in-line with item #6. Another name for this is the precautionary principle. We don't always know what the long term value of something is and therefore should use caution if we are in danger of losing it.

Thanks for chiming in.

Sincerely,

Phil Sheridan
Meadowview

[unstuckintime]

I'm all for "because they're cool" but, more seriously, they do serve a purpose which you have outlined already. They serve in the important function of transforming and transferring vital nutrients from one form and place to another. They eat the flies which eat other plants or animals, using the nutrients, and when they die, those nutrients go back into the ground for other plants to use. Those other plants (grasses and the like) are key to holding ground in tact to prevent erosion and further degradation of wetlands. So, i guess that was point 2 and 6...lol

[peterhewitt]

Socrates, the great Philosopher, said:
"The one thing I know beyond doubt, is that I know nothing"
I dont think we know all the reasons why things are important. We claim only a tiny portion of overlapping existance with most of the worlds flora and fauna.
A more difficult question would be.
"Why are human beings important?"
Maybe we still have a positive role to play.
But, i dont think we have started yet.

[meadowview]

Hi Guys:

Keep the comments coming! Peter, I sometimes say the same thing, Why are we important? I mean, let's justify why we are important to the biosphere. That's why this question is not a good one to ask, but one that is frequently asked. Has anyone ever asked orchid growers why orchids are important? In that case it would be fairly easy since the plants are beautiful and have great commercial value. These two points should not be lost as important reasons, in popular culture, to justify why pitcher plants are important (among the many other reasons we have cited).

Best,

Phil

[ICPS-bob]

I think #2, 4, 6, 7 are part of a larger point that Sarracenia represent one (perhaps charismatic) component of a complex and unique ecosystem that has been disappearing at an alarming rate -- that is, the bog wetlands -- with only small and disjunct remnants now found of an historically vast network. Here reside a unique set of interdependent organisms found nowhere else. Habitat loss is a general and profound world-wide problem.

[Cincinnati Kid]

The question... "Why are Sarracenia pitcher plants important?" is an egotistical one.

The supposed intent of the question is "Why are Sarracenia pitcher plants important TO ME/PEOPLE/SOCIETY/HUMANS"? And the answer is pretty much "well, they're not".

But for a human being to even ask the question is somewhat offensive. Why must we assign value to things? Why can't we just celebrate the diversity & wonderment of nature? I think to those people who DO do that... they already understand the answer to the question "Why are Sarracenia pitcher plants important?"

So... why are Sarracenia pitcher plants important to me? Because they make me marvel at the incredible awesomeness (and I mean awesomeness in the true sense of the word) of this thing called nature. And they make my universe a wonderful place to inhabit. They make me smile. They make me happy. And they eat bugs. How freakin cool is that?!

I think the REAL question is... "Why are reporters from Fredericksburg newspapers important?" Sarracenia don't question YOUR value of existence... so don't you dare question theirs.

[purpman]

Cause they're not vegetarian!

[amphirion]

ecological niches are probably a major factor concerning sarracenias. for starters they are very good at what they do, capturing tons and tons of insects the same way spiders and frogs do, one can only imagine if they werent there to control insect populations? i would also argue that there are probably quite a few micro-ecosystems within the pitchers themselves, where larvae of certain insects have adapted to living inside the pitchers, perhaps they've come to a stage of dependency that if the pitcher plant was wiped out, they would be wiped out as well?
such is true with nepenthes, wouldnt be surprised if Sarrs fufilled similar niches here in the states.

[chloroplast]

Sarracenia are important because:

1. Sarracenia and humans share the trait of carnivory and some physiologic mechanisms underlying this trait (eg, common methods for food storage, digestion, and absorbtion). These shared traits provide some humans with a tangible "link" or "connectedness" with the plant world.

2. Following from (1), this sense of connectedness induces some humans to try to protect Sarracenia and their habitat, making Sarracenia a "poster" species like the Panda, which certainly benefits this species and its ecological neighbors.

[Alexis]

1. Sarracenia and humans share the trait of carnivory and some physiologic mechanisms underlying this trait (eg, common methods for food storage, digestion, and absorbtion). These shared traits provide some humans with a tangible "link" or "connectedness" with the plant world.

What about us vegetarians :-)

[DroseraBug]

I like #6 I guess because I'm a water quality guy. I'm pretty sure some fairly new research and future research could be done to even look into developing biometrics for pitcher plant/bog communities as a way to track nutrient pollution from nonpoint/point sources. I view subjects and ideas like this as being important to bogs and humans alike.